Would you like Celebrity to return to Casual, Semi-Formal, and Formal Nights?

[4774Papa]

On NCL we were invited to the Captain's private cocktail party on the optional formal night. There were less than 20 guests at the party but one turned up wearing creased t-shirt, shorts, flip-flops and baseball cap. He was welcomed in and doubtless headed straight to the dinning room in the some outfit. My husband was in a blue lounge suit and I wore a simple black dress. We would have felt extremely overdressed if it was not for the officers in full dress uniform.

 

Sue

Sorry Sue, but I have seen people wearing flip-flops and cutoffs at dinner on NCL. It is unusual to see, but it happens. Also, I see such grunge at restaurants on shore as well fairly often.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Sorry Sue, but I have seen people wearing flip-flops and cutoffs at dinner on NCL. It is unusual to see, but it happens. Also, I see such grunge at restaurants on shore as well fairly often.

 

That's especially true at vacation/beach destinations. Here (Cocoa Beach area) you can go to a "nice" restaurant and often find people in VERY casual clothing. The closer you are to the waterline, the more lax it seems to be.

 

Perhaps the salt air plays a role! ;)

 

Tom

[tserface]

I've seen women wearing flip flops to dinner lots of times on Celebrity. For some reason there seems to be a double standard where if women wear them they can be fancy (I've even brides wear them with their gown) but when a guy wears them they are too casual.

 

Tom

 

Sorry Sue, but I have seen people wearing flip-flops and cutoffs at dinner on NCL. It is unusual to see, but it happens. Also, I see such grunge at restaurants on shore as well fairly often.

[CruisingChick]

I've seen women wearing flip flops to dinner lots of times on Celebrity. For some reason there seems to be a double standard where if women wear them they can be fancy (I've even brides wear them with their gown) but when a guy wears them they are too casual.

 

Tom

 

Tom, I did buy a nice pair of Vera Wang black wedge flip flops that are pretty dressy, but I could not bring myself to wear them in the evening. I put them on and then said no, I can't wear these to dinner, They had a beautiful decoration on them also, but to me they are still flip flops. I guess I could have called them sandals. Here's a picture:

 

[Kellie Poodle]

Sorry Sue, but I have seen people wearing flip-flops and cutoffs at dinner on NCL. It is unusual to see, but it happens. Also, I see such grunge at restaurants on shore as well fairly often.

 

I have seen flip flops costing over $100.

[nedward]

Formal attire on a cruise ship is so...yesterday!

 

LONG LIVE SMART CASUAL!

 

Rgds, Ned

[tally10]

Formal attire on a cruise ship is so...yesterday!

 

LONG LIVE SMART CASUAL!

 

Rgds, Ned

 

We totally agree with you and smart casual is for us. It does not matter one whit what others wear on a cruise as long as it is not too outlandish and is presentable. Though we have not been on NCL in a long time, we personally don't think of NCL as the Jerry Springer cruise line. Their ships are going out pretty full these days and I am positive that not everyone is of the category "Kelly Poodle" has lumped them in.

[Gold Coast Cruisers]

We liked it better on Celebrity when the dress code was categorized as Casual, Semi-Formal, and Formal. After Celebrity made the change around 2008-2009, the average dress of those onboard at dinner time went down. Everything at home is casual. We like to dress up on cruises and wish Celebrity would step it up a notch.

 

How do you feel? Are there others that share our opinion?

 

 

Yes I'm with you 100%.

 

Jilly

[Flying-Dragon]

We much prefer the three categories even if it means packing an extra bag. We would never NOT take a cruise for a price difference of $150.00 so we just feel that a luggage fee is part of the cost of the cruise. I also think it's kind of strange that one can dine in a venue such as Murano (which I feel is more formal than the MDR) wearing Smart Casual on nights when it is Formal in the MDR. If a suit or a tux is uncomfortable then perhaps it does not fit properly.

 

I totally agree. For us dressing up is one of the perks of cruising. We had the three categories on Mercury three years ago and liked it. Now with only two we actually dress in semi-formal (ie jackets and open shirt for men) whenever we want, and most particularly anytime we book a specialty restaurant. In one sense it has opened up the door to wearing our nicer clothes more often.

 

As for formal nights, we stay away from any cruise line that does not have formal nights. I'll put up with the pins and needles in my arms while tying my bow tie just for the sheer pleasure of spending the evening thinking that I look like a million dollars (note that I only think that - the reality is left to the audience!)

 

The cost of the extra baggage is not an argument I have been able to buy into - as you say, it's minimal and is a pittance compared with the cost of a cruise, given the pleasure it brings us on board.

[4774Papa]

Kellie, we like cruising with NCL. The vast majority of people dress appropriately, just not in tuxes. We have our X cruise 3 December and will make our comparisons when the cruise is over.

Having to spend $100 to rent a tux is something that I don't really want to do, but it makes my DW happy. Heck, I may enjoy it.